Twisting machine



fly 4. G. E. HENINING TWISTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 18, 1946 s Sheets-Sheet 1.

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TWISTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 18, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR G. E. HENN/NE A T TOR/VEV Patented July 5, 1949 TWISTING MACHINE George E. Henning, Baltimore, Md., asslgnor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 18, 1946, Serial No. 704,157

6 Claims.

This invention relates to twisting machines and particularly to twisting machines for forming highly flexible, close spiral cordage.

In the communications. field, many types of apparatus require the use of a highly flexible cord and also a cord which will stand a maximum number of fiexings without breakage of the individual conductors which make up the cord. These flexible cords generally comprise a plurality of individually insulated, stranded conductors twisted together to form a composite core over which there is applied a suitable insulating jacket, which jacket may be formed of rubber, or a rubber-like compound or a suitable textile covering. In order to form a cord having maximum flexibility, the spirals of the individual conductors twisted together to form the composite core must lay against each other throughout the entire length of the core, which type of composite core will hereinafter be referred to as a close spiral composite core.

The composite core unit is usually formed by a twisting machine provided with a rotating flyer unit, which serves to twist together a plurality of conductors being continuously advanced thereto.

.In such a twisting operation, the conductors are usually drawn from a group of supply reels positioned some distance from the flyer, whereupon the twist imparted to each of the conductors by the fiyer is carried back along the conductor to a point where each conductor engages a. guide member. In other words, the guiding members serve to check the twisting action on the conductors, whereby the twisting point of the conductors occurs at some point intermediate the fiyer and the guiding members. It has been found that the twisting point of the conductors tends to surge back and forth between the fiyer and the guiding member due to the inherent resiliency of the conductors and the spring action of the close spiral being formed by the fiyer.

Therefore, in order to produce a smooth, uniform close spiral core, it is necessary to hold the twisting point of the conductors at some fixed point with respect to the flyer.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved twisting machines.

A further object of the invention is to provide new and improved twisting machines for. making close spiral cordage,

With these and other objects in View, one apparatus embodying the invention comprises an adjustable supporting member having a plurality of guide pulleys rotatably mounted thereon which serve to direct a plurality of insulated conductors from a supply source at a substantially sharp angle toward the center of a twisting head provided on a rotatable fiyer unit. A tubular restraining member is centrally positioned on the adjustable plate with respect to the guide pulleys for holdin the twisting point of the conductors as close to the twisting head as possible.

A clear understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, side elevation of a twisting machine forming a specific embodiment of the invention; 7

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view of a portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken along line 3--3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary view illustrating the twisting operation performed on the conductors by the twisting machine.

The following description is directed to twisting machines formaking four-conductor, close spiral cordage, it being understood that the apparatus may be used to twist together various types of strands and in various group combinations as desired.

Referring now to the drawings, attention is first directed to Fig. 1, in which a portion of a twisting machine is illustrated therein as being comprised of a flyer I0 rotatably mounted between a pair of spaced standards I li-l| by means of a hollow trunnion l2 and a hollow trunnion it formed integrally with and on opposite ends of the flyer Hi. There is provided on the flyer in a pair of capstans l5l 5 driven at a constant rate of speed by an externally disposed change gear mechanism IB, which gear change mechanism, together with the flyer I0, is driven by a shaft I! connected to a suitable driving means (not shown).

The operation of the flyer ill and the gear change mechanism It is described fully in G. E. Henning et al. Patent 2,338,848, issued January 11, 1944, and copending application Serial No. 704,132, filed October 18, 1946, by E. D. Hanson, G. E. Henning and O. G. Nelson.

When the fiyer I0 is rotated in the proper direction, a plurality of insulated conductors 20---2ll are advanced from a suitable supply (not shown) through a strand guiding unit v2| and twisted around a textile strand 22 also being advanced through the unit 2| to form a close spiral composite core 23 (Figs. 2 and 4). The core 23 is advanced through the central hub of a servin head 24 by the aid of which a textile covering is wrapped around the composite core to form a core unit 25. The core unit 26 is advanced laterally along the central axis oi the hollow trunnion l2 by the capstans |5-|5 mounted on the flyer II). the core unit 25 being passed alternately around each of ,the capstans a given number of times and then directed therefrom to a pulley 26 and thence to a pulley 21 rotatably mounted on a reciprocating distributor nut 26 carried by the'flyer Ill. The distributor nut 23 is also driven by the change gear mechanism l6 and serves to reciprocate the pulley 21' so as to lay the unit 26 in even layers on a takeup reel 36 rotatably mounted on the central axis of the flyer.

For a complete understanding of the apparatus for driving the takeup reel 30 in such manner that a constant tension is maintained on the core unit 25 as it is wound on the reel. attention is again directed to the above mentioned patent and copending application.

In order for the flyer Hi to produce a close spiral core, such as the core 23 (Fig. 4), it is necessary that suitable conductor guiding apparatus such as the conductor guiding unit 2|, be positioned in such a manner that the twisting point of the various. conductors which comprise the composite core 23 will be maintained at a fixed point with respect to the means provided on the flyer I0 which imparts the twist to the con ductors.

The conductor guiding unit 2| comprises a ver tically positioned circular plate 35 having secured adjacent to the outer periphery thereof and equidistant from each other a plurality of tubular bearings 36-36. Each of the bearings 36-36 slidably engages a rod 31 horizontally aligned therewith and rigidly positioned around the periphery of a circular base plate 40. The conductor guiding unit 2| is rigidly mounted adjacent to the flyer so that its central axis is aligned with the central axis of a twisting head 3| secured on the end of a tubular bushing 32 threadedly mounted on an end 33 provided on the trunnion |2 of the flyer. The twisting head 3| is provided with a bore 34 which is designed to engage the core unit 25 tightly so that when the twisting head is rotated by the flyer, it will turn the core unit 25 therewith and without any radial slippage ocurring between the core unit and the twisting head, thereby twisting the conductors 20-20 together to form the composite core 23.

Four brackets 4|-4| are secured on the inner face of the plate 35 equidistant from each other and from the central axis of the plate by means of studs 42-42"threadedly mounted in the plate 35. Each of the brackets 4|-4| is provided with ,a pair of spaced supports 43-43 between which is rotatably mounted a grooved pulley 44 by 30 means of a pin 45 positioned in bores provided in the spaced supports 43-43. A plurality of bores 46-46 are provided in the plate 35, each bore 46 being horizontally aligned with an aperture 41 provided in the base of each of the brackets 4|-4|. The bores 46-46 and 41-41 provide a plurality of openings through which the conductors 20-20 may pass from a suitable supply source (not shown) to the grooves provided in the pulleys 44-44.

An elongated bushing 50 is centrally positioned on the plate 35 and is provided with a bore 5| in which a restraining member 52 is slidably positioned, the restraining member 52 being maintained in any selected position in the bushing 50 by means of a set screw 53 threadedly mounted in the wall of thebushing. The restraining member 52 is provided with a conical end 54 and. a central bore 55 through which the textile strand 22 is adanced by the twisting machine during a twisting operation on the conductors 20-20. A set screw 56 is provided in each of the bushings 36-36 for the purpose of selectively positioning the guiding unit 2| with respect to the twisting head provided on the flyer I0. The position of the guiding unit 2| with respect to the twisting head 3| determines the angle at which the conductors 26-26 are directed toward the central axis of the core 23, which angle in turn determines the lay or pitch of the helices formed in the core 23. To twist together a plurality of conductors having an inherent resilience which resists the twisting action so that the individual convolutions or helices lay against each other throughout the core, such as the core 23 (Fig. 4), it is necessary to position the guide pulleys 44-44 so that the individual conductors are directed toward the axis of the core at such an angle that a close spiral core results and the conductors contact the central axis of the core at a point close to the twisting head.

The restraining member 52 is adjustably mounted on the guiding member 2| so that its conical end 54 may be selectively positioned with respect to the end of the twisting head 3| and the pulleys 64- 14. This arrangement permits adjustment of the restraining member to a position which maintains the twisting point of the conductors 26-20 as close to the twisting head as is required to produce the close ,spiral core 23 and prevents the twisting point from surging back and forth along the central axis of the core 23, which surging effect is'caused by the inherent resiliency of the insulated conductors 26-20 and the spring action of the close spiral core.

The capstans i5-l5icontinuously advance the core 23, formed by the twisting head, away from the conical end of the restraining member 52,

and laterally through the bore 34 of the twisting head 3|. Immediately before the core 23 advances into the bore of the twisting head, the serving head 24 serves a textile covering over the core 23 to form the core unit 25. The serving head 24 comprises a rotor 55 rotatably mounted on a tubular support 56 centrall positioned on the base plate 40 by means of needle bearings 51-51 mounted within a central hub portion 60 of the rotor 55. A pulley 6| is keyed to the hub 66 and engages a V-belt 62 connecting the pulley 6| with a pulley 63 provided on a variable speed reducer 64 (Fig. 1). The speed reducer 68 is also driven by the shaft H by means of a V- belt drive 65.

A plurality of spindles 66-66 are rigidly secured on the rotor 55 equidistant from each other and from the centra1 axis of the serving head, which spindles serve to rotatably support a plurality of strand supply cops 61-61. A strand 16 is drawn from each cop 61 threaded through a guide 1| positioned on the rotor 55 adjacent to the respective cop, thence through a guide 12 positioned on a strand guiding member 13 secured on the hub 66 of the rotor, and thence through a radial slot 14 provided in the end of the member 13 to the core 23 being formed by the twisting head. The speed reducer 64 is arranged to rotate the rotor 55 in the same direction as the flyer Hi, the twisting head 3| and the core 24 rotating therewith, but at a substantially greater rate of speed so that the serving head 24 is able to serve a textile covering over the core 23.

It is believed to be apparent that when the rotor 22 is rotated in the same direction as the twisting head 3|, the strands -10 are withdrawn from the cops 6'|6l and spirally wrapped around the core 23 just before it enters the bore 33 of the twisting head 3| (Fig. 2). It will be noted that the strands Ill-10 are wrapped around the core in a direction opposite to that in which the spirals of the core are formed. While the strands |0-||| may be served in either direction on the core 23, it is believed to be obvious that the serving of the strand in an opposite direction to that of the spirals of the core serves to hold the close spiral core tightly together.

The holding of the twisting point of the conductors close to the end of the twisting head by proper adjustment of the guiding unit 2| and restraining member 52, permits simultaneous serving of the textile covering around the twisted core 23 immediately after it is formed. If, however, the twisting point were not so confined but allowed to surge back and forth, it is apparent that serving would sometimes take place around the core before it was fully formed and there would result a very uneven and imperfect core;

The above-described apparatus operates in the following manner:

A plurality of individual insulated conductors 23-23 (in this case four) are taken from a suitable supply (not shown), and are passed through the bores 46-46 and 4'|-4'| to their respective guide pulleys 44-44 and thence through the bore 34 provided in the twistinghead 3| together with the textile core 22, Whichis'drawn through the central bore 55 of the restraining member 52. The conductors and the strand then pass through the bushing 32, the hollow trunnion H of the flyer ill, and then alternately around the capstans |5|5 several times to the guide pulley 23 mounted on the opposite side of the flyer. The pulley 2t directs the conductors and the strand directly to the distributing pulley 21 from which the conductors 2|l2|l and the strand 22 are directed to the winding surface of the takeup reel 30, the conductors and the strand being secured thereto as a unit so that when the reel is rotated it will take up the core unit 25.

When the flyer ill and the capstans |5|5 are driven at constant rates of speed, the twisting head 3| driven by the flyer serves to twist the conductors 23-20 spirally together and around the textile strand 22 to form the close spiral composite core 23, and the capstans continuously advance the conductors and the strand from their respective supplies to the guide pulleys and the twisting head. In order to produce a close spiral core 23, it is necessary that the twist- Lil ing point of the conductors 20-23 which is the formation point of the core 23 be maintained at a fixed point with respect to the twisting head 3| and close to the twisting head. Even though the flyer ill and the capstans |5|5 are being driven at the proper rates of speed with respect to each other, the twisting point of the individual "conductors 23-23 has a tendency to surge back and forth between the end of the twisting head 3i and the peripheries of the guide pulleys 44-44 unless prevented from being so, because of the inherent resiliency of the individual insulated conductors 2 3- 2ll and the spring action of the close spiral bein formed by the twisting head 3|.

This surging of the twisting point of the conductorsis' prevented by the restraining member 52, which may be adjusted so that the conical end 54 thereof engages each of the conductors 20-20 as they contact the central axis of the core 23 and causes all the twisting of the conductors to take place against the conical end 54 and close tothe twisting head.

The capstans also continuously advance the close spiral core 23- awayfrom the end of the restraining member and toward the bore of the twisting bushing. The serving head 24 is arranged with respect to twisting head so that its rotor 55, when rotated as described hereinabove, will withdraw the strands Ill-i0 from the supply cops 61-61 and serve the strands spirally around the core 23 as it travels between the restraining member 52 and the end of the twisting head. The serving of the strands around the core 23 produces a textile covering therearound and com pletes the core unit 25, strands of the covering being wrapped around the core in a direction opposite to that in which the spirals of the core are formed. This arrangement of the textile covering with respect to the composite core serves to hold the spirals in their close relationship The core unit is advanced through the bore 34 of the twisting head 3|, which bore is designed to engage the core unit tightly and thereby impart all of the twist to the conductors 20--20 necessary to form the close spiral core 23. By virtue of the fact that the bore 34 engages the core unit tightly, it also serves to smooth out the textile covering formed by the serving head 24, and to compress the core unit 25 into a compact unit. After being advanced through the bore of the twistin head, the core unit passes around the capstans |5|5 in a crisscross manner and is directed therefrom to the guide pulley 26 mounted on the flyer ID. The guide pulley directs the core unit to the distributor pulley 21 which serves to distribute the core unit evenly upon the takeup reel 30 mounted in the flyer and driven by externally disposed means (not shown) so as to maintain uniform tension on the core number of conductors, such as 2, 3 or 6 conduc-f tors. In addition, the apparatus may be modilied to twist a plurality of filler cords in with the close spiral core. It is believed to be apparent that the embodiment of the invention described herein is merely illustrative and may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a twisting machine having a cradle type, rotatable flyer arranged to twist together inherently resilient conductors being advanced thereto by capstans disposed in the flyer, the improvement which comprises means centrally positioned on the end of the flyer and rotatable therewith for twisting together a plurality of such conductors being advanced by the capstans into a composite core, means for guiding the conductors toward the central axis of the twisting means, means for adjusting the position of the guiding means to so direct the conductors to the end of the twisting means that the twisting point of the conductors occurs close to the end of the twisting means and the conductors will be twisted together into a close spiral core, and means'rotatable about the central axis of the twisting means for serving a textile covering around the composite core immediately after the core is formed by the twisting means.

2. In a twisting machine having a cradle type rotatable flyer arranged to twist together inherently resilient conductors being advanced thereto by capstans disposed in the flyer, the improvement which comprises means externally positioned along the central axis 01 the flyer for twisting together a plurality of such conductors being advanced by the capstans into a composite core, means for guiding each individual conductor toward the central axis of the twisting means, means for supporting the conductor guiding means equidistantly about the central axis of the twisting means, means for adjusting the supporting means carrying said guiding means to direct the conductors guided thereby so that they will be twisted together close to the end of the twisting means and at such an angle that they will be twisted together into a close spiral core, means rotatable about the central axis of the twisting means for serving a textile covering around the close spiral core at the end of the twisting means,

tions of the guiding means so that they will so direct the conductors that they will be twisted together by the twisting head into a close spiral core in advance oithe point at which the textile covering is applied by the serving means, and means for engaging the conductors at the twisting point to hold the twisting point close to the end oi! the twisting head.

5. In a twisting machine having a cradle type rotatable flyer arranged to twist together inherently resilient conductors being advanced thereto by capstans disposed in the flyer, the improvement which comprises a stationary tubular hub and means for holding the twisting point of the conductors at a fixed point with respect to the end of the twisting means to assure that the close spiral core is completely formed by the twisting means before the textile covering is served around the core.

8. In a twisting machine having a cradle type rotatable flyer arranged to twist together inherently resilient conductors being advanced thereto by capstans disposed in the flyer, the improvement which comprises means externally disposedalong the central axis of the flyer and having a bore therethrough for tightly engaging a plurality of such resilient conductors being advanced by the capstans and twist them together into a close spiral core when the flyer is rotated, rotatable means ifor guiding the conductors toward the end of the twisting means, means for sup porting the guiding means equidistantly about the central axis of the twisting means, means for adjustable positioning the supportingmeans carrying the guiding means to direct the conductors to the twisting means so that the twisting point of the conductors occurs close to the end of the twisting meansand at such an angle that the conductors are twisted together into a close spiral core, and means rotatable about the central axis of the twisting means for serving a plurality of textile strands around the close spiral core at the end of the twisting means, whereby the restraining member permits the twisting means to produce a uniformly twisted core against the action of the inherent resilience of the conductors.

4. In a twisting machine having a cradle type rotatable flyer arranged to twist together inherently resilient conductors being advanced thereto by capstans disposed in the flyer, the improvement which comprises a tubular hub mounted adjacent to the end of the flyer, an elongated bushin externally disposed along the central axis of the flyer so as to extend through the tubular hub and rotatable with the flyer, a twisting head mounted on the free end of the bushing for gripping a plurality of such conductors and twisting them together into a composite core when the flyer is rotated, means rotatably mounted on the hub for serving a textile covering around the core at the end of the twisting head, means for guiding the individual conductors toward the end of the twisting head, means for adjusting the posimounted adjacent to the receiving end of the flyer, an elongated bushing extending externally through the tubular hub along the'central axis of the flyer and rotatable with the flyer, a twisting head mounted on the free end of the bushing for tightly gripping a plurality of conductors being advanced by said capstans and imparting all the twist to the conductors when the flyer is rotated, means for guiding each individual conductor toward the central axis of the twisting means, means for supporting the conductor guiding means equidistantly about the central axis of the twisting means, means for adjusting the guide supporting means to direct the conductors guided thereby so that they will be twisted together close to the end of the twisting means and at such an angle that theywill betwisted together into a close spiral core, means rotatable about the central axis of the twisting means for serving a textile covering around the close spiral core at the end of the twisting means, and means for holding the twisting point of. the conductors at a fixed point with respect to the end of the twisting head toassure that the close spiral core is completely I formed by the twisting means before the textile covering is served around the core.

6. In a twisting machine having a flyer rotat-.

able about its central axis to twist together inherently resilient conductors being advanced thereto by capstans disposed in the flyer, the improvement which comprises an elongated bushing externally disposed along the central axis of the flyer and rotatable therewith, a tubular twisting head positioned on the end of the bushing for twisting together a plurality of such conductors being advanced by the capstans when the flyer is rotated, rotatable means for guiding each individual conductor toward the central axis of the twisting head, means for supporting the guiding means equidistantly about the central axis of the twisting head, said supporting means being adjustable with respect to the twisting head whereby the guiding means carried thereby may be positioned to so direct the conductors so that they will be twisted together close to the end or the twisting head and at such an angle with respect to the central axis of the twisting head that they will form a close spiral core, means for serving a plurality of textile strands spirally around the core at the end of the twisting head, said serving means including a rotor rotatably mounted about the central axis of the bushing and twisting head, a plurality of strand supply cops rotatably mounted on the rotor and externally disposed means for rotating the rotor in the same direction as the twisting head but at a substantially greater rate of speed whereby when the rotor is rotated a strand is withdrawn from each of the cops and served spirally around the close spiral core in a direction opposite to that in which the spirals of the core are formed by the twisting head, and a restraining member centrally disposed on the supporting means and having a v conical end provided thereon, said restraining REFERENCES mm member being adjustably positioned on the sup- The following reterenloes are of record in the porting means so that the conical end thereof file of this patent: may be positioned directly against the conductors 5 UNITED as they contact the central axis of the core. STATES PAW whereby the twisting point of the conductors is Number Name Date maintained at a fixed point close'to the end of 5 2.1 3 Sisum Oct. 28. 1897 the twisting head thereby enabling the twisting sxritta June 29. 1 26 head to produce a. uniformly twisted core over 10 2 Rei e t Oct. 1 1932 which the textile covering is applied. .379 Morgan ne 1934 2,000,104 Somerville May 7, 1935 GEORGE E. mrmmm. 5 .10 Fischer i Sept. 9. i941 

